2022 Basketball State Championships by Georgia High School Association

GHSA 2022 STATE BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS

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MACON CENTREPLEX | MARCH 9-12, 2022

2022 CHAMPIONSHIP SCHEDULE

FEATURES

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9

Letter from the Executive Director ..................................................................................4

C LA SS A -PUBLI C GIR LS 1:00 PM - Hancock Central vs. Lake Oconee Acad. C LA SS A -PUBLIC BOYS 3:00 PM - Warren County vs. Drew Charter

C LA SS 4 A GIR LS 5:00 PM - Luella vs. Marist C LA SS 4 A B OYS 7:00 PM - Spencer vs. Westover

THURSDAY, MARCH 10 CLA SS 2A GI R LS CO- E D 3 - P OINT F INA L 1:00 PM - Elbert County vs. Rabun County 5:00 PM CLA SS 2A BOYS C LA SS 5 A GIR LS 3:00 PM - Westside, Augusta vs. Butler 5:30 PM - Forest Park vs. Woodward Acad. CLASS 5A BOYS 7:30 PM - Eagle’s Landing vs. Tri-Cities

FRIDAY, MARCH 11 CLA SS 3A GI R LS 1:00 PM - Lumpkin County vs. GACS GIR LS 3 - P OINT F INA L 5:00 PM CLA SS 3A BOYS 3:00 PM - Windsor Forest vs. Cross Creek C LA SS 6 A GIR LS 5:30 PM - Lovejoy vs. Sequoyah CLASS 6A BOYS 7:30 PM - Buford vs. Grovetown

SATURDAY, MARCH 12 CLA SS A -PRIVATE GIR LS 11:00 AM - Mt. Paran vs. Hebron Chr. C LA SS A -PRIVATE BOYS 1:00 PM - Greenforest Christian vs. King’s Ridge AAA S P W H EELCHAIR 3:00 PM - DeKalb vs. Houston Co.

BOYS S LA M DUNK F INA L 5:00 PM C LA SS 7 A GIR LS 5:30 PM - Norcross vs. Harrison C LA SS 7 A B OYS 7:30 PM - Berkmar vs. Norcross

SPONSOR INDEX Wilson................................................................................ 2 BSN Sports......................................................................... 5 Georgia EMC...................................................................... 5 Gatorade............................................................................ 5 Regions Bank..................................................................... 5 Adapted Sports.................................................................. 6 Hudl................................................................................. 14 MaxPreps......................................................................... 14 Play.Perform.Compete.Together...................................... 14 Title IX.............................................................................. 14 Jostens............................................................................ 19

Sports Medical South....................................................... 19 VNN Sports....................................................................... 21 Go Army........................................................................... 21 NFHS - Become an Official................................................ 21 NFHS Network.................................................................. 25 Daktronics........................................................................ 28 Jr. Hawks Summer Camp................................................. 28 Pickle Juice...................................................................... 32 Buffalo Wild Wings.......................................................... 32 Musco Lighting................................................................ 32 Farm Bureau Insurance.................................................... 35

Championship Preview...................................................................................................4 Past State Champions ............................................................................................. 12-13

TEAM INFORMATION AAASP Preview & Team Information ...............................................................................6 Class A-Public & A-Private Brackets..................................................................................7 Class A-Public & A-Private Team Information............................................................. 8-11 Class AA & AAA Brackets................................................................................................15 Class AA & AAA Team Information............................................................................ 16-20 Class AAAA & AAAAA Brackets........................................................................................22 Class AAAA & AAAAA Team Information................................................................... 23-27 Class AAAAAA & AAAAAAA Brackets...............................................................................29 Class AAAAAA & AAAAAAA Team Information.......................................................... 30-34

VIEWING INFORMATION All 17 games will be streamed live on NFHS Network (nfhsnetwork.com) and GPB Sports (gpb.org/sports). Digital downloads can be ordered at NFHS Network, who will produce the broadcasts. FOLLOW LIVE STATS BY WEST GEORGIA SPORTS INFORMATION SERVICES AT

HTTP://GHSABASKETBALL.WEEBLY.COM/

/OFFICIALGHSA

The 2022 Georgia High School Association Basketball State Championship Guide is published by Score Media, a division of Score Atlanta, in conjunction with the GHSA. The guide was designed by Adam Schindler and edited by Craig Sager II, Seth Ellerbee and Graham David. Information provided by the GHSA. For more information on Score Media, go to Scoreatl.com or call 404-256-1572.

WWW.GHSA.NET | 3

GHSA 2022 STATE BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS WORD FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE GHSA

WELCOME GHSA BASKETBALL FANS

elcome to the 2022 GHSA Ralph Swearngin Basketball State Championships! The games are sure to be exciting as all of the schools represented are looking forward to their team achieving the title of “Champion”. However we all know that all of our teams are outstanding and are definitely winners. This has been an outstanding season and this year’s championship games will include familiar faces as well as teams that have worked hard and peaked at just the right time. Our congratulations are in order for all of the teams, coaches, administrators, cheerleaders and parents who have supported the athletes through this year’s journey to the final games. I know you will enjoy and appreciate the games and all of the work leading up to this exciting event. I would also like to thank you for your support of high school basketball throughout the season. Your attendance and support is integral to the success of high school athletics and for the team you are here to cheer on. Good sportsmanship is expected from our athletes and I urge you to be positive in your support of all of our teams. Let’s work

James R. Hines, Jr. Executive Director

fending girls state champion Woodward Academy will take on 2020 state champion Forest Park.

TOURNAMENT PREVIEW

NEWCOMERS FILL THIS YEAR’S CHAMPIONSHIP SLATE

BY CRAIG SAGER II

he 2021-22 GHSA basketball season will culminate in Macon this weekend for four days of historic state championship matchups and the amount of programs searching for first-ever state titles has never been higher. Out of the 32 boys and girls teams competing for state crowns in the state’s eight separate classifications, 17 finalists have the opportunity to become state champions for the first time. There are also only two defending boys champions (Eagle’s Landing, Cross Creek) and two defending girls champions (Woodward Academy, Hebron Christian) that survived this year’s brackets and set up a possible title defense. In the state’s top classification, the Norcross boys and girls will look to sweep titles for the first time since 2013. The boys will take on a Berkmar team that is aiming for its first state title since 2001 and the Lady Blue Devils will face a Harrison team riding a 21-game win-streak that is one victory away from its first-ever state title. Class 6A has been equally outstanding to follow this season and 2019 girls state champion Lovejoy and Region 4 Player of the Year Bryanna Preston will take on a Sequoyah squad that sits one win away from its first state title since 1996. The Buford boys have an opportunity to win their third state title since 2017, but will have to face Grovetown in the Class 6A finals—who has picked up 17-straight wins, including an 82-76 win over two-time defending state champion Wheeler in the quarterfinals.

ALL OR NOTHING

Class 5A is the only classification that will have a defending state champion in both games. The reigning champion Eagle’s Landing boys will put their 14-game win-streak on the line against a Tri-Cities team that has won 11-straight and is fresh off a thrilling 71-68 overtime victory against Calhoun in the semifinals. De-

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together to make today’s games a great experience for all involved. To put on an event of this magnitude takes many volunteers who have worked tirelessly to provide a “first class” event. Many hours of work from this group will enhance the experience of our players, cheerleaders and fans. The GHSA staff has been working for weeks as well to ensure a special event for all involved. Finally I would like to thank our corporate sponsors who make it possible to put on these championships. Their advertisements can be seen throughout this venue and I encourage you to support them whenever possible. The GHSA wants to thank these exemplary companies for their involvement, we appreciate their support. Thank you for your attendance and I know you are going to enjoy the best high school basketball anywhere!

Spencer and Westover will faceoff in the boys Class 4A finals and Spencer enters tipoff with a 22-0 record within the classification this season. The Greenwave have an opportunity to win their first-ever state title, while Westover aims to snap a championship drought that dates back to 2001. On the girls side, Luella and Marist will faceoff. Neither program has lost within Class 4A this season and both programs are a win away from first-ever state titles. Defending Class 3A boys state champion Cross Creek will take on a Windsor Forest team looking for its first state title and more history will unfold in the girls’ finals where the Lumpkin County girls sit a win away from their first-ever title and the Greater Atlanta Christian girls have a chance to take home the program’s 10th all-time state championship.

FAMILIAR FOES Class 2A’s finals offer a pair of intriguing region rematches. On the boys side, Westside and Butler will meet for the fourth time this season and the Rabun County and Elbert County girls will also meet for the fourth time. Westside’s last state title came in 1995 and Butler has not hoisted a championship since 1966. Elbert County and Rabun County will both be seeking their first-ever state crowns.

The Class A Private finals will feature Greenforest Christian and King’s Ridge on the boys side. Greenforest will attempt to win its fourth all-time state title and first since 2017, while King’s Ridge will try to close out its first-ever state championship. On the girls’ side, defending state champion Hebron Christian will be challenged by Mt. Paran Christian—who has won 12-straight contests and is hungry for its first-ever state championship. Class A Public is the only classification field that has no previous state champions in it. Hancock Central and Lake Oconee Academy will faceoff in the first matchup of this year’s finals and Warren County will take on Drew in another star-powered showdown. Drew Charter (30-1) took out No. 1 ranked Social Circle (70-66) in the semifinals and carries a 28-game win-streak into tipoff. Warren County has won 16-straight games and is led by senior Lorenzo Johnson.

MACON CENTREPLEX | MARCH 9-12, 2022

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GHSA 2022 STATE BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS AMERICAN ASSOC. OF ADAPTED SPORTS PROGRAMS

HOUSTON COUNTY LOOKS TO RECLAIM ITS CHAMPIONSHIP GRIP

CELEBRATING 25 YEARS OF INTERSCHOLASTIC ADAPTED ATHLETICS

WWW.ADAPTEDSPORTS.ORG

hen the American Association of Adapted Sports Programs (AAASP) Wheelchair basketball state championship takes center stage at 3 pm Saturday, Houston County will look to regain its dominance and take home the title. The Sharks carried an eight-year streak into the finals last year, but the Gwinnett Heat scored a 42-25 victory to end their record-setting championship run. Houston County has clearly been the team to beat for nearly a decade, but emergent programs have routinely challenged the standard that the Sharks continue to set. In 2020, the finals went into overtime for the first time in the sports’ history and Dylan Thompson scored his only points of the game to lift Houston County to a 23-22 victory. That game saw Houston County rally back from a 17-6 halftime deficit (wheelchair basketball plays six quarters. The Gwinnett Heat were familiar with Houston County and had met them in previous finals and came out last year victorious. Will Millikan’s 20 points fueled the Heat’s 20-point victory and gave Gwinnett its first state title since 2012. Houston County’s Seth Early finished with 18 points, but the Sharks could not pick up their ninth-straight title. This year, the DeKalb Silver Streaks will attempt to take down Houston County and achieve the team’s first-ever state title. The AAASP Wheelchair basketball state championships have been a thrilling and incredible part of the GHSA state championships for years and this year Houston County and DeKalb will faceoff before the Slam Dunk Final at 5 p.m. and Class 7A’s double-header to close out an incredible four days of Georgia high school basketball.

AAASP WHEELCHAIR ROSTERS DeKalb Silver Streaks No. 3 6 8 15 9

Name Jamel Boston William Jones Joseph Patterson Cameron Smothers Najee Smothers

No.

Name

Corey Swain

Noah Yonis

Coaches: Everette Shoates, Delton Shoates

Houston County Sharks No. 25 3 4 4 51

Name Adonis Brown Dalton Crosby Anthony Cuti Ger’mir Gordon Ca’ron Harris

No.

Name

Elianna Stevens

Dylan Thompson

Jaquavious West

Langley Yoh

Coaches: Christy Jones, Melissa Ring-Hartman

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Thank you to all of our school members, coaches, athletes and parents for the inspiration to continue our work to get Georgia students with physical disabilities off the sidelines and into the game! Learn more about how your school district or region can participate; participation is open to all GA students with a physical disability through the AAASP/GHSA alliance in partnership with GADOE. A special thanks to our founders and leadership, including our Board of Directors, whose steadfast commitment to AAASP makes opportunities available in athletics for students with physical disabilities possible year after year. For more information, contact AAASP or GHSA: adaptedsports.org or ghsa.net.

Visit adaptedsports.org | email sports@adaptedsports.org

MACON CENTREPLEX | MARCH 9-12, 2022 SECOND ROUND R1 #3 Pelham

R5 #1 Schley Co.

R8 #2 Commerce

R2 #1 Clinch Co.

QUARTERFINALS Pelham

SEMIFINALS

34 Commerce

Commerce

R7 #1 Hancock Central

R6 #2 Trion

Hancock Central

R4 #1 Montgomery Co.

R5 #1 Manchester

R8 #2 Towns Co.

R2 #1 Charlton Co.

Manchester

R7 #1 Warren Co.

R8 #3 Commerce

Warren Co.

R5 #1 Holy Innocents’

R6 #3 Lakeview Acad.

R7 #1 Mt. Paran Chr. R6 #2 Fellowship Chr.

Holy Innocents’

Macon Centreplex 3:00 pm March 9, 2022

88 66

Landmark Chr.

FINALS

SEMIFINALS

Social Circle

GIRLS 1A-PRIVATE

Mt. Paran Chr.

66 22

Buford City Arena 2:00 pm 43 47

R5 #1 Galloway

R8 #2 Tallulah Falls

Galloway

MAR. 4-5 43 Greenforest

Greenforest

MAR. 4-5

BOYS 1A-PRIVATE

MAR. 1-2 62

Noth Cobb Chr.

R7 #1 North Cobb Chr. 83 Heritage, Newn.

R6 #1 Drew Charter

R7 #3 Wilkinson Co.

R3 #1 Portal

R2 #2 Clinch Co.

53 57

R5 #3 Macon Co.

R1 #1 Calhoun Co.

SECOND ROUND R4 #2 Brookstone

R6 #1 St. Francis

R5 #2 Hebron Chr.

R3 #1 Savannah CD

R4 #3 Heritage, Newnan

R8 #1 Tallulah Falls

R5 #3 Galloway

R1 #1 Stratford Acad.

R4 #2 St. Anne Pacelli

R6 #1 King’s Ridge

R5 #2 Providence Chr.

R3 #1 Calvary Day

R2 #2 Paideia

R6 #4 St. Francis

R5 #3 Mt. Vernon

R1 #1 First Presb.

Calvary Day

St. Francis

First Presb. 64

107

King’s Ridge

Buford City Arena 4:00 pm

King’s Ridge Heritage, Newn.

R8 #3 George Walton 36 R4 #1 Heritage, Newn. 42

Macon Centreplex 1:00 pm March 12, 2022

FEB. 25-26

King’s Ridge

Greenforest

Buford City Arena 4:00 pm

R4 #2 Dooly Co.

Galloway

R1 #2 Stratford Acad. 46

Tallulah Falls

Galloway

MAR. 1-2

R1 #1 Seminole Co.

Hebron Chr.

FEB. 25-26

St. Francis

Hebron Chr.

Hebron Chr. Mt. Paran Chr.

R5 #3 Central, Tal.

Calhoun Co.

QUARTERFINALS

Macon Centreplex 11:00 am March 12, 2022

Buford City Arena 2:00 pm

R8 #1 Lake Oconee Acad.

R8 #1 Social Circle

Mt. Paran Chr.

Wilkinson Co.

Social Circle 77

Holy Innocents’

R2 #2 Charlton Co.

Ft. Valley State Univ. 8:00 pm Drew Charter

Drew Charter

R1 #3 Deerfield-Wind. 57

R2 #1 Greenforest

SEMIFINALS

R3 #1 Screven Co.

FEB. 25-26

Drew Charter

QUARTERFINALS

Trinity Chr. R4 #1 Trinity Chr.

MAR. 1-2 52

Seminole Co.

SECOND ROUND

R1 #2 Deerfield-Wind.

MAR. 4-5

BOYS 1A-PUBLIC

Lake Oconee Acad.

Warren Co.

Warren Co. Dublin

R2 #1 Landmark Chr.

Taylor Co.

R1 #2 Mitchell Co.

R3 #2 Calvary Day

MAR. 4-5

R5 #2 Taylor Co.

Valdosta State Univ. 6:00 pm

Manchester Towns Co.

R6 #1 Mt. Zion, Car.

Taylor Co.

Macon Centreplex 1:00 pm March 9, 2022

Dublin

Ft. Valley State Univ. 4:00 pm

R4 #1 Dublin

Lake Oconee Acad.

SECOND ROUND R4 #2 Dublin

MAR. 1-2

QUARTERFINALS 42

FEB. 25-26 R3 #2 Jenkins Co.

GIRLS 1A-PUBLIC

58 Hancock Central

Montgomery Co.

SEMIFINALS

Hancock Central

Valdosta State Univ. 2:00 pm R3 #3 Bryan Co.

FINALS

First Presb.

WWW.GHSA.NET | 7

SATURDAY - MARCH 12, 2022

CLASS A-PRIVATE GIRLS

MT. PARAN CHR.

3.12.22 11 AM HEBRON CHR. DID YOU KNOW? BOTH HEBRON CHRISTIAN AND MT. PARAN ONLY LOST TWO AWAY GAMES APIECE THIS SEASON

MT. PARAN CHR.

LADY EAGLES • 24-4 • REGION 7

fter falling to Holy Innocents’ 46-38 in last year’s second round, Mt. Paran Christian was able to get redemption with a narrow 53-50 victory over the Golden Bears in the semifinals, giving the Eagles a change at the program’s first-ever girls basketball state title. Leading up to the thrilling semifinals victory Mt. Paran cruised through the postseason, winning every game by at least 27 points. The Eagles defeated Wesleyan 66-37 in the first round, Deerfield-Windsor 66-30 in the second round and defeated Trinity Christian 48-21 in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, the Eagles were tasked with taking down the topranked Holy Innocents’ Golden Bears. The winning-effort was fueled by strong outings from freshman strong forward Jessica Fields, who finished the game with a team-high 20 points and seven rebounds, while Georgia Tech-signee Kara Dunn came out with a double-double, scoring 14 points and racking up 11 rebounds. Senior Katelyn Dunning added eight points and five assists while senior Shamaria Jennings scored five points and snagged seven rebounds. Mt. Paran’s finals opponent Hebron Christian has allowed an average of just over 43 points per contest through the postseason, a mark that the Eagles have surpassed in each of their games leading up to the finals. Mt. Paran will need to lean heavily on Fields and Dunning in order to come out on top, alongside Dunn who is averaging a whopping 22 points per game.

HEBRON CHR.

LADY LIONS • 26-5 • REGION 5

he Lady Lions are back in the finals again and are looking to defend their 2021 championship crown, the programs first-ever state title. Hebron Christian’s path to the finals has undoubtably been an exciting one, featuring close games and clutch plays that earned the Lady Lions their finals berth. After sound victories over Darlington in the first round (69-34) and Savannah Country Day in the second round (59-41), the Lady Lions were caught in a close battle against St. Francis in the quarterfinals, the very opponent they defeated in the 2021 finals 51-46 to claim the state title. With the game tied at 51-51 and just 6.3 seconds remaining in the game, sophomore Amiya Porter found herself at the foul line with the opportunity to put the game away. She drained both shots and kept Hebron Christian’s season alive. Porter finished the game with 11 points and five rebounds, alongside a stellar performance from Jessie Parish (15 points, five rebounds and two steals) to give the Lady Lions their third straight semifinals appearance. The fun wasn’t over yet though, as Hebron Christian would enter another close contest in the semifinals against a hungry Galloway team looking for its first-ever title. With the game tied at 47-47 and just two seconds remaining, sophomore Nickyia Daniel scored the game-winning basket to send the Lady Lions into the finals. The only thing standing in Hebron Christian’s way of a repeat title now is a hopeful Mt. Paran team looking for its first-ever state title.

8 | WWW.GHSA.NET

Head Coach: Stephanie Dunn No.

Name

Pos.

Gr.

Katelyn Dunning

Elizabeth Hein

G/SG

Jacalyn Myrthil

Jada Harvey

Kara Dunn

G/SF

Maya Perry

Shamaria Jennings

SF/G

Sarah Grace Marr

Kaylynn Kirklen

SF/PF

Jessica Fields

Hailey Thornton

Kitali Youmans

McKinley Brothers

Head Coach: Jan Azar No.

Name

Pos.

Gr.

Gabriela Lowe

Jessie Parish

Kennedy Truitt

Jayden Watts

Malia Melton

PF/SF

Kayla Lane

G/P

Aubrey Beckham

PG/G

Aniya Moodie

PG/G

Amiya Porter

PG/G

Nickyia Daniel

Emma Flowers

SATURDAY - MARCH 12, 2022

CLASS A-PRIVATE BOYS

GREENFOREST CHR.

3.12.22 1 PM KING’S RIDGE DID YOU KNOW?

GREENFOREST AND KING’S RIDGE HAVE NOT PLAYED EACH OTHER SINCE THE 2015-2016 SEASON

GREENFOREST CHR.

EAGLES • 27-4 • REGION 2

reenforest comes into this year’s finals riding a 23-game win streak, looking to win a fourth state title and first since winning back-to-back titles in 2016 and 2017. The Eagles’ postseason run began against Brookstone in the first round, as they rolled through to the second round after an 87-34 victory. Their second-round matchup against Tallulah Falls was more of the same, with Greenforest earning a strong 80-34 victory before advancing into the semifinals after defeating Galloway 61-43 in the quarterfinals. The Eagles continued to dominate in the semifinals, earning the finals berth on the back of a dominant 69-40 victory over Heritage, Newnan. Though the Greenforest offense was firing on all cylinders, the defensive showing as a team helped create the separation as Greenforest forced 12 turnovers through the first half. Defensively, the Eagles are allowing just 37.75 points per game during their postseason run and have outscored opponents 297-151. Their stellar offense is fueled by several key players, including senior guard Jalen Forrest who is averaging just over 18 points per game this season. Senior guard Florian Tenebay has been contributing heavily as well, averaging 12.3 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. Tenebay also led Greenforest in scoring against Heritage in the semifinals with 15 points. Under center, junior Dhiakuei Manyiel Dut is a force to be reckoned with. He is averaging a team-high 8.6 rebounds per game and is a reliable go-to option in the paint.

KING’S RIDGE

TIGERS

•

28-4

•

REGION

he Tigers have come a long way since last season’s first-round exit after a 55-47 loss to Darlington. King’s Ridge is now just one victory away from the program’s first-ever state title, and they enter the finals coming off one of the

most exciting games so far this postseason. After a 69-57 first round victory over Athens Christian, the Tigers served St. Anne-Pacelli a 70-61 loss to advance into the quarterfinals where King’s Ridge emerged victorious after a 62-47 win over Calvary Day. Now in the semifinals, the excitement would truly begin. Up 52-49 against First Presbyterian Day with the clock winding down, the Tigers tried to foul but the call came on the shot and not on the floor. First Presbyterian Day forced overtime after making three free throws, putting the Tigers’ miraculous season on the line. With the clocking winding down and the game tied, King’s Ridge’s Jack Thomas was sent to the line where the junior drained both free-throws to give the Tigers the lead. First Presbyterian Day would then turn the ball over, sealing the deal on the Tigers’ finals berth. Junior guard Isaac Martin led King’s Ridge in scoring with 18 points along with five rebounds and five assists. Right alongside him were Liam Thomas (11 points, three rebounds) and Micah Hoover (11 points, five rebounds). This scoring trio will be leaned on heavily as the Tigers try and take out a Greenforest team that has yet to score less than 61 points through the postseason.

Head Coach: Rory Griffin Pos.

No.

Name

No. 0 1 2 3 5 10 11 12 13 20 21 23 24 32 33

Head Coach: Robert Martin Name Pos. Nicholas Christopher PG Isaac Martin PG/SG Nate Kittredge PG/SG Carson Wolfel SG/PG Caden Erckenbrack SF/SG Jaydon Cole PG/SG Jack Thomas SF/SG Dylan Sears SG Landon Brabazon SF/G Cayman Morgan G/W Micah Hoover SF/SG Liam Thomas SF/SG Cedric Haynes SG/SF Zak Thomas PG Neil Kohls SG

0 1 2 3 4 5 12 13 14 15 20 21 22 23 24 25 32 33 34 35 55

Chaz Prince Jalen Forrest Caleb Smith Florian Tenebay Isaiah Lloyd Jaylen Peterson Dhiakuei Manyiel Dut Elijah Lewis Zachary Hall Julian Jones` Kevin Harper Gai Chol Atem Bryce Irby Caleb Kawela Micheal Saffl Coco Nklongo Daniel Daramola Edwin Favour Djevan Utuome Eseosa Aigborhah Abel Etienne

G G G G G C C G G G G C G C G C F F F F G

Gr. 11 12 12 12 11 12 11 10 12 12 9 11 9 10 10 10 9 9 9 9 9

Gr. 11 11 10 12 12 9 11 12 12 10 11 12 9 11 10

WWW.GHSA.NET | 9

WEDNESDAY - MARCH 9, 2022

CLASS A-PUBLIC GIRLS

HANCOCK CENTRAL 3.09.22 1 PM LAKE OCONEE ACAD. DID YOU KNOW? BOTH HANCOCK CENTRAL AND LAKE OCONEE ACADEMY ARE LOOKING FOR THEIR RESPECTIVE PROGRAM’S FIRST-EVER STATE TITLE

HANCOCK CEN.

BULLDOGS

•

18-3

•

REGION

Head Coach: Kalycia Harrell No.

Name

Pos.

Neela Lamar

Mt. Zion-Carroll. While Hancock Central certainly looks poised to finish off its historic season by claiming the state

Aniy Hill

F/G

title, the journey to the postseason started with a 2-3 record to open the season, with back-to-back losses to Veter-

Makiyah Reese

ans (45-47) and Baldwin (36-63) to start the year. However, since then Hancock Central has not dropped a game

Key’Nya Scott

Jameria Lawrence

game against Montgomery County in the quarterfinals but managed to eke out the 58-56 win to give the program its

Tiamber Williams

first semifinals appearance since 1977. It was there in the semifinals against Commerce where Hancock Central re-

Shaniyah Battle

ally turned things on, outscoring the Tigers 29-17 throughout the second half to secure the finals berth. The Bulldogs

Jychera Fluellen

Sonovia Reynolds

Jalexicia Hargrove

uch like the Titans, the Hancock Central Bulldogs are also looking for their programs first-ever state title, and are now just one win away from this feat after losing in the first round of last years playoffs in a 62-34 loss to

and is riding a 16-game winning streak into the finals. After cruising past Chattahoochee County in the first round (59-33) and defeating Bryan County 56-48 in overtime in the second round, the Bulldogs found themselves in a close

defense has been strong during the postseason, allowing an average of just 43 points per game. This comes in large part to the play of Region 7-A Public Player of the Year Jalexicia Hargrove, who at six feet tall has a huge presence at center. Offensively they are led by senior Jameria Lawrence, a point guard who is averaging 12.5 points per game..

LAKE OCONEE ACAD.

TITANS • 25-1 • REGION 8

Gr.

Head Coach: Ed Wilson

ith just one loss on the season, a close 42-34 game against Stratford Academy back on December 3, the

No.

Name

Pos.

Gr.

Titans are strolling into the finals on a 21-game win streak as they look to secure the program’s first-ever

Willa Kent

state title. The historic season for Lake Oconee comes after a Titans’ season where they lost 57-53 to Clinch Coun-

Georgia Bosart

Jane Monachello

Jacy Singleton

Charlton County in the second round. However, the Titans were tested in the quarterfinals in a narrow game against

Hannah Heinen

PG/SG

Seminole County. With the clock winding down, sophomore guard Georgia Bosart was able to drain the go-ahead

Mary Claire McCommons

PG/SG

basket and send Lake Oconee through to the semifinals for the first time in program history. Double-digit outings

Gracie Arrington

Jada Williams

Kensi Stevens

Ava Johnson

ty during last years quarterfinals, with Clinch County going on to make a finals appearance of its own. Now, it’s the Titans’ time to shine, something they’ve been doing ever since the start of the postseason. The Titans started off with back-to-back stellar victories, a 66-37 win over Gordon Lee in the first round and a dominant 61-40 win over

from juniors Hannah Heinen (23) and Jada Williams (21) helped fuel the historic victory. Following the narrow win, the Titans were able to cruise past Taylor County in the semifinals, accumulating a 32-14 lead by halftime, fueled by Williams (nine points) and junior Kensi Stevens (six points), that proved too much for the Vikings to overcome. The Titans will look to keep that energy and come out of the gates strong again in their first-ever finals appearance.

10 | WWW.GHSA.NET

WEDNESDAY - MARCH 9, 2022

CLASS A-PUBLIC BOYS

3.09.22 3 PM

WARREN CO. DREW CHARTER

DID YOU KNOW?

BOTH THE EAGLES AND SCREAMING DEVILS WENT UNDEFEATED IN THEIR RESPECTIVE REGIONS THIS SEASON

WARREN CO.

SCREAMING DEVILS • 25-3 • REGION 7

Head Coach: Uriah Myrick

he Screaming Devils’ road to the finals has been one for the ages with thrilling finishes that have brought Warren County to the championship game for a chance at the program’s first-ever state title. The first two rounds presented little friction for the Screaming Devils as they cruised through to the quarterfinals following a 79-52 first-round victory over Taylor County and a 74-52 win over Mitchell County in the second round. It was in the quarterfinals and semifinals where Warren County’s season was truly on the line. A narrow 61-60 win over Dublin in the quarterfinals set the stage for a semifinals matchup against Manchester. Down 41-38 heading into the fourth quarter, the Screaming Devils managed to outscore Manchester 11-7 to earn to finals berth. The Blue Devils did have a chance to make the last-second go-ahead basket with time winding down, but a missed shot was rebounded by Warren County’s Justyn Burnett to seal the deal on the win. Defensively, Warren County has allowed an average of 53 points per game through the postseason while scoring an average of 65.75. This high-power offense is fueled by senior guard Lorenzo Johnson. Johnson is scoring an average of 23 points per game, along with six rebounds and just over three assists. Alongside him is a duo of seniors in Ra’Quan Myers (10.9 ppg) and Ken’vonte Brinkley (11.1 ppg) who will be leaned on as well.

DREW CHARTER

EAGLES

•

30-1

•

REGION

ince losing to Grayson 72-61 back on November 27, the Eagles have been nothing short of fantastic and are riding a 28-game winning streak into the finals where they will be playing for the program’s first-ever state title. After a 61-43 first-round victory over Washington-Wilkes, the Eagles managed to keep their season alive with a narrow 64-60 win over Dooly County in the second round. Another tight game in the quarterfinals against Wilkinson County, which has ten state titles to its name, saw the Eagles claim a 52-49 victory to earn their first semifinals appearance in program history. It was there that Drew Charter would meet maybe its toughest opponent of the season in Social Circle, as the Redskins were coming into the game with a flawless 30-0 record looking to grab their very own first-ever title. Drew Charter managed to climb ahead 35-26 at the half and would hold on strong to secure the 70-66 victory to keep its historic season alive. The Drew Charter defense has allowed an average of 54.5 points per game through the postseason, while scoring an average of 61.75. In order to outpace a Warren County team averaging 65.75 point per game during its journey to the finals, the Eagles will need to look to its trio of First-Team All-Region players in seniors Ja’Kobe Strozier and Cam Johnson alongside junior Cedric Taylor to keep the offense rolling and apply pressure on defense.

No.

Name

Pos.

Gr.

Justyn Burnett

PG/SG

Corey Leslie

SF/PF

Rashad Myers

Rae’Quan Hill

Lorenzo Johnson

Travis Moss

Ra’quavian Jones

Ra’quan Myers

Ken’vonte Brinkley

SF/PF

Tyler Collins

O’marion Jackson

C/PF

Micola Walker

C/PF

No. 0 1 3 4 5 10 12 13 15 20 21 22 24 34 42

Head Coach: Kenyatta Bennett Name Pos. Michai Reid SG/PG Jakobe Strozier SG Kashawn Myers G Israel Meggett G Bryant Tripplett PG/SG Taj Price G Cedric Taylor G Cam Johnson G Kenneth Scott G Pierce Lindic SG Gabe Bivines SF/PF Jaiden Haynes SF/PF/SG Kenyatta Bennett G Kenneth Robinson G Jonathan Cooper F

Gr. 11 12 12 11 12 11 11 12 10 9 9 9 10 11 12

WWW.GHSA.NET | 11

GHSA 2022 STATE BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS

BOYS PAST STATE CHAMPIONS (SINCE 1970) Year 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

AAAAA Berkmar Wheeler Wheeler S. Gwinnett Wheeler Norcross Norcross Norcross Wheeler Milton Norcross Milton

AAAA SW, Macon Tompkins Baldwin Campbell Marietta Douglass, Atl. SW, Macon Wills Washington Griffin SW, Macon Southside Statesboro Johnson, Sav. Griffin Wheeler Dunwoody Tift Co. Roswell Savannah Marietta Berkmar Dougherty Westlake Griffin Mays Mays Columbia Tucker Columbia Miller Grove Miller Grove Miller Grove Miller Grove

AAA Decatur Carver, Col. Savannah SW, Macon Savannah SW, Macon Savannah LaGrange SW, Macon SW, Atlanta Decatur West Laurens Decatur Gainesville Gainesville Lee Co. Hart Co. (Forfeited) Madison Co. Marist Westover Westover Westover Westover Marist Westside Tucker Dougherty Westover Westlake Marist Westover Cross Keys East Hall West Laurens Dunwoody Dunwoody Jordan Glenn Hills South Atlanta Columbia Columbia Columbia

AA East Rome Berrien Russell SW, Atlanta SW, Atlanta West Fulton West Fulton Brown Peach Co. Arnold Lakeshore Crawford Co. Crawford Co. Randolph-Clay Terrell Co. Central, Car. Randolph-Clay Lakeshore Claxton East Rome Mitch.-Baker Mitch.-Baker Wash. Co. North Clayton Wash. Co. Dodge Co. Swainsboro Cedar Grove Mitch.-Baker Mitch.-Baker Mitch.-Baker East Hall Wilkinson Co. Mitch.-Baker Randolph-Clay East Hall Dublin Manchester Wesleyan Dublin GACS GACS Laney

A Early Co. Roswell Calhoun Co. Bacon Co. College Park College Park College Park Arnold Josey Dacula Hoganville Woodbury Central, Tal. Woodbury Woodbury Woodbury Bible Baptist Clinch Co. Richmond Hill Clinch Co. Central, Tal. East Rome Greenville Richmond Hill Richmond Hill Atkinson Co. Hogansville Calhoun Co. Seminole Co. Wilkinson Co. Wilkinson Co. Taylor Co. Taylor Co. Whitefield Acad. SW Atl. Christian Randolph-Clay SW Atl. Christian Wilkinson Co. Hancock Cent. Whitefield Academy Wesleyan Wilkinson Co. Whitefield Academy

B Hogansville Hogansville Hogansville West Point Hogansville Monticello Woodbury GACS Clay Co. -

C Arlington GACS GACS -

YEAR 2013 2014 2015 2016

AAAAAA Norcross Tift County Wheeler Westlake

AAAAA Miller Grove Miller Grove Brunswick Miller Grove

AAAA Eagle’s Landing Jonesboro Jonesboro Liberty Co.

AAA Johnson, Savannah Morgan County Jenkins Morgan Co.

AA GACS GACS Seminole County Pace Academy

A-Public Wilkinson County Wilkinson County Calhoun County Wilkinson County

A-Private Greenforest St. Francis St. Francis Greenforest

YEAR 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021

AAAAAAA Tift County Meadowcreek McEachern Wheeler Milton

12 | WWW.GHSA.NET

AAAAAA Langston Hughes Hughes Tri-Cities Chattahoochee Wheeler

AAAAA Buford Warner Robins Buford Dutchtown Eagles Landing

AAAA Upson-Lee Upson-Lee Carver-Columbus Woodward Baldwin

AAA Pace Academy GACS Morgan Co. Pace Academy Cross Creek

AA South Atlanta Thomasville Therrell Swainsboro Pace Academy

A-Public Wilkinson County Wilkinson County Calhoun Co. Hancock Central Towns County

A-Private Greenforest Aquinas St. Francis St. Francis Mt. Pisgah

MACON CENTREPLEX | MARCH 9-12, 2022

GIRLS PAST STATE CHAMPIONS (SINCE 1970) Year 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

AAAAA Collins Hill Collins Hill Parkview Stephenson Collins Hill Collins Hill Collins Hill Stephenson Redan Norcross Norcross McEachern

AAAA Lowndes Lowndes NE, Macon NE, Macon LaGrange LaGrange NE, Macon Baldwin Baldwin Baldwin Morrow Morrow Morrow Cedar Shoals Morrow Sequoyah S. Gwinnett Sequoyah Stone Mtn. Wheeler Pope Beach C. Gwinnett Glenn Hills Mays St. Pius X Etowah St. Pius X St. Pius X SW DeKalb SW DeKalb SW DeKalb Fayette Co. Miller Grove

AAA Forest Park Sequoyah Decatur Cherokee Waycross NE, Macon Cherokee Lowndes Lowndes Berrien Co. Coffee Madison Co. Cairo Berrien Rockdale Co. Dodge Co. Rossville Dodge Co. Chattooga Hart Co. Hart Co. Hart Co. Hart Co. Hart Co. Hart Co. Woodward Woodward Richmond Acad. Josey Woodward North Atlanta Gainesville NE, Macon Gainesville Gainesville Hephzibah Avondale East Hall Kendrick Carrollton Columbia Washington Co. Columbia

AA Berrien Sprayberry Berrien Monroe Area Cairo Berrien Franklin Co. Brooks Co. Waycross East Hall East Hall White Co. Putnam Co. Morgan Co. Seminole Co. Terrell Co. Terrell Co. Seminole Co. Upson Seminole Co. Berrien Co. Wash. Co. Tri-County Fannin Co. Gainesville Haralson Co. Randolph-Clay Thomasville Thomasville Fannin Co. Randolph-Clay GACS GACS Early Co. Wesleyan Wesleyan Wesleyan GACS Wesleyan Buford Buford Buford Lovett

A Monroe Area Taylor Co. Taylor Co. Haralson Co. Pickens Haralson Co. Brooks Co. Irwin Co. Bowdon Miller Co. Miller Co. Warren Co. GACS GACS Central, Tal. Central, Tal. Central, Tal. Clinch Co. Taylor Co. Hawkinsville Broxton-M. Hayes Clinch Co. Taylor Co. Clinch Co. Taylor Co. Taylor Co. Manchester Pelham Putnam Co. Holy Innocents’ Sav. Ctry. Day Jefferson Wesleyan Taylor Co. Hawkinsville Terrell Co. SW Atl. Christian Hawkinsville Calvary Day Wesleyan Wesleyan Wesleyan Wesleyan

B Mitchell Co. Montgomery Co. Montgomery Co. Loganville GACS GACS Clinch Co. Miller Co. Temple -

C Taylor Co. Norman Park GAC -

YEAR 2013 2014 2015 2016

AAAAAA Norcross McEachern McEachern McEachern

AAAAA SW DeKalb Tucker Stephenson SW DeKalb

AAAA Columbia Redan Buford Americus-Sumter

AAA St. Pius X St. Pius X Laney Morgan Co.

AA Wesleyan Kendrick Wesleyan Holy Innocents’

A-Public Gordon Lee Randolph-Clay Taylor County Turner County

A-Private St. Francis SACA St. Francis St. Francis

YEAR 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021

AAAAAAA McEachern Westlake Westlake Westlake Marietta

AAAAAA Mays Lovejoy Lanier Forest Park Westlake

AAAAA Buford Buford Buford Buford Woodward

AAAA Columbus Spalding Carver-Columbus Americus-Sumter Carver-Columbus

AAA Beach Johnson-Sav. Johnson-Sav. GACS Cross Creek

AA Laney Laney Douglass Douglass Josey

A-Public Pelham Greenville Marion Co. Wheeler County Calhoun County

A-Private Wesleyan Wesleyan Holy Innocents’ Holy Innocents’ Hebron Christian

WWW.GHSA.NET | 13

GHSA 2022 STATE BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS

Celebrating the inspirational individuals and landmark moments in the history

of Title IX, and continuing to grow the

educational and competitive opportunities for the future.

High school sports and performing arts produce an environment where students learn that we become better for our schools, our communities, and one another when we play, perform, and compete, together!

Please visit: www.nfhs.org/resources/title-IX

Now’s the perfect time to share what high school sports and performing arts mean to YOU. Post now #PlayPerformCompeteTogether! using the hashtag #PlayPerformCompeteTogether Promote the NFHS Title IX at 50 Campaign on Social Media Using >

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14 | WWW.GHSA.NET

NFS-0103-PPCT-Print Ad-4.25x5.5-REV-GA.indd

9/21/21

3:22 PM

MACON CENTREPLEX | MARCH 9-12, 2022 SECOND ROUND R3 #2 Liberty Co.

R5 #1 Westminster

R8 #2 Oconee Co.

R2 #1 Sumter Co.

QUARTERFINALS Westminster

SEMIFINALS

R7 #1 Lumpkin Co.

R6 #2 Murray Co,

Lumpkin Co.

Macon Centreplex 1:00 pm March 11, 2022

Windsor Forest

GACS

MAR. 4-5

Windsor Forest Sumter Co.

52 46

R8 #3 Hart Co.

44 69

SECOND ROUND 41

R5 #1 Callaway

R8 #2 Elbert Co.

R2 #1 Swainsboro

Johnson, Sav.

R7 #1 Fannin Co.

R8 #3 Banks Co.

Thomson

Callaway

R6 #3 Lovett

Burke Co.

Beach

FINALS

SEMIFINALS

GIRLS 2A

52 39

Macon Centreplex 1:00 pm March 10, 2022

Georgia College & State Univ. 2:00 pm Fannin Co.

Josey

Northeast

73 50

Rabun Co.

MAR. 4-5

Northeast Vidalia

MAR. 4-5

BOYS 2A

67 55

70 68

R6 #2 Columbia

Georgia College & State Univ. 4:00 pm Early Co.

51 66

R7 #2 East Forsyth

R1 #1 Pierce Co.

R4 #2 Cross Creek

R6 #1 LaFayette

R5 #2 GACS

R3 #1 Groves

R4 #3 Burke Co.

R6 #4 Ringgold

R7 #2 White Co.

R3 #4 Beach

Macon Centreplex 3:00 pm March 10, 2022

Butler

Washington Co.

Woodville-Tomp.

Georgia College & State Univ. 8:00 pm

Woodville-Tomp. 51

SECOND ROUND R4 #2 Laney

R8 #4 Union Co.

R5 #2 Heard Co.

R3 #1 Northeast

R2 #2 Woodville-Tompkins 44 R8 #1 Rabun Co.

R7 #2 Chattooga

R3 #4 Lamar Co.

FEB. 25-26

Butler

Butler Westside

Westside 82

R6 #4 Ringgold

Chattooga

MAR. 1-2

Westside

Northeast

Georgia College & State Univ. 6:00 pm

Rabun Co.

R2 #2 Central, Macon

Laney

Northeast

Elbert Co.

Beach

QUARTERFINALS

R7 #1 Chattooga

R4 #1 Westside

52 43

R3 #1 Johnson

Georgia College & State Univ. 8:00 pm

Groves

Elbert Co. Elbert Co.

Macon Centreplex 3:00 pm March 11, 2022

SEMIFINALS

MAR. 1-2 72

R7 #4 Coosa

R1 #2 Early Co.

Cross Creek

QUARTERFINALS

R5 #2 GACS

Cross Creek

FEB. 25-26

R2 #1 Vidalia

Cross Creek Thomson

Josey

R3 #2 Northeast

FEB. 25-26

R3 #3 Washington Co.

R4 #1 Josey

MAR. 1-2

Windsor Forest

R6 #1 Lakeview-Fort Ogl.

Pierce Co.

R5 #4 Redan

R3 #2 Dodge Co.

Central, Macon

Pierce Co.

MAR. 4-5

BOYS 3A

GACS

Georgia College & State Univ. 4:00 pm

R4 #1 Thomson

34 46

R4 #2 Thomson

Georgia College & State Univ. 6:00 pm

MAR. 1-2

R6 #3 Lakeview-Fort Ogl. 41

R3 #3 Johnson, Sav.

GACS

FEB. 25-26

R2 #1 Sumter Co.

SECOND ROUND

Lakeview-Fort Ogl

49 Lumpkin Co.

Cross Creek

R5 #1 Sandy Creek

R1 #2 Tattnall Co.

R3 #2 Windsor Forest

QUARTERFINALS

Lumpkin Co.

Georgia College & State Univ. 2:00 pm

R4 #1 Cross Creek

SEMIFINALS

GIRLS 3A

48 Westminster

Sumter Co,

FINALS

R4 #2 Butler

R6 #1 Pace Acad.

R5 #2 Heard Co.

R3 #1 Washington Co.

R2 #2 Woodville-Tomp.

R8 #1 Rabun Co.

R7 #2 Model

R1 #1 Thomasville

Model

WWW.GHSA.NET | 15

THURSDAY - MARCH 10, 2022

CLASS AA GIRLS

3.10.22 1 PM

ELBERT CO.

RABUN CO.

DID YOU KNOW?

RABUN COUNTY CARRIES A 2-1 ADVANTAGE OVER ELBERT COUNTY IN THEIR THREE PREVIOUS MEETINGS

ELBERT CO.

BLUE DEVILS

•

27-4

•

REGION

he Elbert County Blue Devils are making their first championship appearance since 1957 and were able to defeat reigning state champion Josey 56-40 in the semifinals. Elbert County burst to the scene last year with a young roster and ultimately fell short to Josey 46-45 in the quarterfinals. Still, it wasn’t until their dominant 16-point win over Josey in this year’s semis that Elbert County’s talent really came into full focus. Niya Moon scored 15 points in the semis, including the 1,000th for her career, which came with 3:58 in the first half on a pair of free throws that pushed their lead to 20-12. Elbert County took a 29-17 lead into the break and closed the game out strong in the second half. The Blue Devils finished 22-of-47 shooting from the field and held Josey to just 14-of-47 shooting. Elbert County also connected on five three-pointers in the victory and out-rebounded Josey 36-25. Junior Jameria Allen finished with a game-high 22 points, 10 rebounds and five steals. “We wanted to push the pace,” Blue Devils coach Josh Jones told the AJC. “We felt like we could use our quickness to our advantage if we just attacked the basket. We did that. We wanted to keep them out of the middle lane, which we did a pretty good job of for the most part. We rebounded the ball well, which we had to do. We were ready today.”

RABUN CO.

WILDCATS

•

24-5

•

REGION

abun County scored a 50-39 semifinal win over Northeast-Macon and will return to the championship stage for the second time in the past five years. Now, the Wildcats’ Region 8 rival Elbert County is all that stands in the way of the school’s first-ever state title. Rabun County defeated Elbert County 47-40 in the game in their most recent meeting on Feb. 18 and split the previous two meetings during the regular season. In the semifinals, the Wildcats controlled the game from start to finish. Sophie Woodard and Carley Haban paced the Wildcats with 14 points each and Gracie Deetz added 13. Haban had three steals and Deetz had five rebounds and three blocks. The Wildcats led 22-4 after the first quarter and 27-14 at halftime. “We wanted to limit turnovers, limit transition points and keep them off the offensive glass,” Wildcats coach DeeDee Dillard told the AJC. “Those were our three focus points and I thought we did a really good job with that.” Rabun County’s playoff run also includes a massive 73-34 quarterfinal win over Chattooga and a 54-44 win over Woodville-Tompkins and a 63-32 win over Lovett in the opening round. Sophie Woodard led Rabun County with 25 points in the quarterfinals, Gracie Deetz finished with 22 points and eight rebounds and Carley Haban chipped in with 10 points to go with her five rebounds.

16 | WWW.GHSA.NET

No. 2 3 4 5 10 11 12 13 14 15 21 22 23 24 30 32 34 42 50

Head Coach: Josh Jones Name Pos. Keitasia Glaze F Aaniyah Allen G Azaria Mattox PG Aameriah Allen PG Jamia Allen F Terrace Hester PG Brenasia Faust C Haely Umble W Lilly Ray C Jordan Glaze C Niya Moon PG Jameria Allen G Emily Booth F Lexia Burton G Hannah Brady PG Miya Hood G Ava Lunsford C Chloe Robertson G Miller Drake G

Gr. 10 11 10 10 11 11 11 11 11 12 11 11 9 10 9 10 11 10 9

No. 1 2 3 4 5 10 11 12 14 20 21 22 23 44 50

Head Coach: DeeDee Dillard Name Pos. Sophie Woodard PG/SG Sarah Kate Roberson SG/PG Trea Blalock SG/PG Carley Haban SG/W Loren Stiles SG/W Mili Watts G Lucy Hood PG/SG Georgia Hickox G Jacie McCall PG Ellie Southards W/SF Brittney Hopkins F Chloe Erlewine PF/SG Gracie Deetz SF/W Mary Lovell SF Isia Wilmont C

Gr. 12 12 11 12 12 10 10 12 9 10 11 9 12 11 10

THURSDAY - MARCH 10, 2022

CLASS AA BOYS

3.10.22 3 PM

WESTSIDE

BUTLER

DID YOU KNOW?

WESTSIDE-AUGUSTA AND BUTLER ARE MEETING FOR THE FOURTH TIME THIS SEASON AND THE RIVAL SCHOOLS ARE JUST 11 MILES APART

WESTSIDE

PATRIOTS

•

27-3

•

REGION

estside-Augusta defeated Northeast-Macon 73-55 in the semifinals and secured its first trip to the state finals since 1995. The No. 4 ranked Patriots (27-3) were led by junior Khalon Hudson—who electrified the crowd with dunks and highlight reel blocked shots, while turning in a gamehigh 24 points. “Our goal was to sustain,” Patriots coach Jerry Hunter said of fending off the Raiders’ run. “We had to make sure everyone understood what it’s going to take to advance, which is playing team basketball — but most importantly, collective defense.” The Patriots led 22-12 after the first quarter and 45-23 at halftime. Northeast sparked a 7-2 run to cut the deficit to 54-37 heading into the fourth and that run extended to 21-6 before the Patriots closed out the win. However, the Raiders were running on fumes by that point and the Patriots never lost their composure, outscoring Northeast 22-4 to close the game. Westside-Augusta carries a 10-game win-streak into the finals and are averaging 70.4 points per game. Juniors Khalon Hudson (17.5) Jalex Ewing (16.7), Amauri Tillman (15.3) are all averaging in double-figures. Westside dropped its first two meetings to Butler this season, but scored a 52-38 win over the Bulldogs in the Region 4 championship. Ewing netted a team-high 16 points in the victory, Hudson finished with 13 and sophomore Demarco Middleton added 11 points.

BUTLER

BULLDOGS

•

22-6

•

REGION

utler orchestrated a 22-6 third-quarter run to fuel its 66-45 win over Woodville-Tompkins in the semifinals and clinched their first championship appearance since 2011, while also moving a win away from the programs first state crown since 1966. Four different Bulldogs finished in double-figures in the semifinal victory; Kendrell Glanton had 13 points with six rebounds, Elijah Martinez finished with 12 points, five rebounds and four assists, and Chance Finklin and Malik Sivell-Smith each scored 11. “It speaks the level of talent in the city,” Butler head coach Cervantes Boddy told the AJC. “The level of coaching, the level of hard work, the level of the kids. Everything in Georgia is not all Atlanta. There are other cities and other schools that can play ball. I’m most proud of that part.” Butler defeated its finals opponent Westside in both regular season meetings, but was defeated by the Patriots in the region championship game to earn the No. 2 seed. Now, the Bulldogs will meet their Region 4 foe for the fourth time this year with the Class 2A state title on the line. Butler’s playoff run also includes a 57-42 win over Toombs County in the first round and impressive road victories against Pace Academy (60-56) and Washington County (51-41) in the quarterfinals. Glanton turned in a seasonhigh 26 points in the win over Pace and Martinez led with a game-high 19 points against Toombs County.

No. 0 1 2 3 4 4 5 10 12 15 20 21 24 24 25 30 32

Head Coach: Jerry Hunter Name Pos. Jalexs Ewing SF Ryan Gordan G/F Demarco Middleton G Quantavious Bryant G Zhian Briggs G Zhian Briggs PG Amauri Tillman G Kenaz Henley G/F Jakarri Freeman G/F William Baker F Xavier Goss SF Khalon Hudson F/C Aldrion Jones F Cameron Collins G/F Marcel Wood F Jarius Adkinson PG Karsten Bryant F

No.

Head Coach: Cervantes Boddy Name Pos.

0 1 2 3 4 5 11 12 15 20 22 23 25 32 34 35

Gemaureon Belton Zy’quan Grant Kedar Bodie Damon Barton Kendrell Glanton Jashaun Belton Hondo Franklin Chance Finklin Kylen Clark Roosevelt Brown Marcus Scurry Jr. Willie Taylor Elijah Martinez Malik Sivell-Smith Cedric Schofield Malik Smith

G G G G G/F G G F/G G G G G/F G C C/F F/G

Gr. 11 12 10 12 11 11 11 9 12 12 10 11 9 11 12 9 9

Gr. 12 11 12 11 12 11 11 12 10 10 9 10 12 12 9 12

WWW.GHSA.NET | 17

THURSDAY - MARCH 10, 2022

LUMPKIN CO. 3.11.22 1 PM GACS CLASS AAA GIRLS

DID YOU KNOW?

FORMER GACS PLAYER CINDY BROGDON COMPETED IN THE 1976 OLYMPIC GAMES

LUMPKIN CO.

INDIANS

•

29-1

•

REGION

op-ranked Lumpkin County has been a team on a mission. Last season, the Indians lost to eventualchampion Cross Creek 46-45 in the semifinals, and you could say the path to this year’s title game began there. Lumpkin’s path to the championship went through Redan 84-51, Tattnall County 90-30, defendingchampion Cross Creek 49-39 and Westminster 64-42 in the semis. Sophomore Averie Jones, junior Lexi Pierce, junior Mary Mullinax and junior Kate Jackson have all been productive on the way to the finals. This season, the Indians have been led by youthful experience and against Westminster, these four led the way. No, really, they were the only scorers. But what makes this group of girls special? “We’ve been playing together since we were 5, and we just click instantly,” Pierce told Adam Krohn of the AJC. Against Westminster, Pierce finished with 20 points, Mullinax scored 16 points and Jackson and Jones each scored 14 points. Lumpkin County has been somewhat of a buzzsaw all season and its run to the title game wasn’t unexpected. “We said we were going to rebound, defend and run, and I really believe there’s no one in 3A that, when we can get out and run, can run with us,” head coach Davis Dowse told Krohn. The Indians enter the title game on a streak of 27-consecutive victories since losing to Buford 56-39 in the Jackson EMC Tipoff Classic in November.

GACS

SPARTANS

•

25-6

•

REGION

he Spartans have won nine state championships and after beating Pierce County 66-46 in the semifinals, GACS wants to even out its trophy count. Greater Atlanta Christian won state titles in 1972, 1974, 1975, 1982, 1983, 2001, 2002, 2007 and 2020. This season’s path to the title game went through White County 61-42, Johnson-Savannah 67-44, Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe 67-60 and Pierce County in the semis. All season, senior Kaleigh Addie has been hugely productive for the Spartans. The 5-foot-7 point guard averages 23.3 points per game with 4.9 rebounds and three assists. Against Pierce, Addie scored 22 points and was 6-for-6 on free throws in the victory. “If we play our game, we feel like we’re pretty difficult to beat,” Spartans coach Jessica Guarneri told Adam Krohn of the AJC. “We always want to start the game defensively, and Trinity Thomas did an unbelievable job for us today. We let that lead to our offense, and offensively, when you got a kid like Kaleigh Addie or Jaci Bolden, it makes it very difficult to defend us. The game plan is always to move the ball enough to pick the best shot, and we don’t care who scores.” Speaking of Bolden, she’s scoring 16 points per game with 4.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game. Junior Trinity Thomas averages nine points with eight rebounds and two steals and assists per game.

18 | WWW.GHSA.NET

Head Coach: David Dowse No.

Name

Pos.

Gr.

Ciera Brooks

Averie Jones

SG/PG

Lexi Pierce

PG/SG

Breigh Rice

Mary Mullinax

SF/SG

Sarah Major

Elizabeth Walker

Kate Jackson

Ava Jones

SF/PF

Head Coach: Jessica Guarneri No.

Name

Pos.

Gr.

Autumn Clark

Myla Benton

SG/PF

Kai Price

Jaci Bolden

Sydney Lucas

Anna Hardy

Kaleigh Addie

Annie Ahmed

Trinity Thomas

Elli Moraitakis

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FRIDAY - MARCH 11, 2022

CLASS AAA BOYS WINDSOR FOREST

3.11.22 3 PM

CROSS CREEK

DID YOU KNOW?

LAST SEASON, CROSS CREEK DEFEATED WINDSOR FOREST 77-76 IN THE SEMIFINALS BEFORE THE RAZORBACKS WON THEIR FIRST-EVER STATE TITLE

WINDSOR FOREST

KNIGHTS • 23-5 • REGION 3

he Knights have been playing basketball since the mid-60’s and after that long stretch, the Savannah program is in the championship game for the first time after beating No. 2-ranked Thomson 60-53. Windsor Forest’s path to the finals went through the top-two programs in the class – No. 1-ranked Sandy Creek and Thomson. According to head coach Aaron Clark, it’s been a long season. “We’ve been fighting all year,” Clark told Adam Krohn of the AJC. “All season, with our schedule, it was all about getting to this point. So we played in as many big games as we possibly could. We went to Atlanta (to play in holiday tournaments) and got beat down a little bit (they went 1-2 against Atlanta area teams), but we played a lot of good teams, and we were prepared for this moment.” The Knights best player is 6-6 power forward D’Ante Bass. The Georgetown-commit scored 13 points with 11 rebounds to lead Windsor Forest past Thomson. Bass is a three-star recruit according to 24/7Sports and is listed as the No. 10 player overall in Georgia. Against Thomson, the Knights got scoring from senior Javonte Landy (11 points) and senior Mike Cabellero (nine points). Windsor Forest earned its championship berth after beating Pierce County 69-39, Sandy Creek 47-37, Sumter County 47-41 and Thomson.

CROSS CREEK

RAZORBACKS • 25-6 • REGION 4

efending-champion Cross Creek wants its second state championship and following a 52-43 victory over Beach in the semifinals, the Razorbacks have a chance. Cross Creek is a program which has been on the rise. Last season both its boys and girls teams won their first respective state championships and this season, the girls lost out in the quarterfinals while the boys are playing for a title. Cross Creek is back in the championship game this season after beating Upson-Lee 75-45, LaFayette 50-47, Groves 55-46 and Beach in the semis. After a tough test in the semis, head coach Lawrence Kelly had praise for his opponent. “Those guys they’ve got over there (at Beach) play extremely tough,” coach Kelly told Adam Krohn, who covered the game for the AJC. “(Shamarrie Hugie and Larry Johnson) are extremely good players, and they’ve got great athletes on top of that. Their coach (Simon Heyward) did a great job of keeping them in the game. We were able to pull it out at the end.” Cross Creek’s Antoine Lorick averages 12 points per game and bested his season average with a 20-point effort against Beach in the semifinals. Lorick, a junior, is one of three Cross Creek players averaging in double-figures. Senior Jaquez Ellison is scoring 12.3 points per game and senior Jayden Pack adds 12 points per game.

20 | WWW.GHSA.NET

Head Coach: Aaron Clark No.

Name

Pos.

Gr.

D’ante Bass

SG/SF/PF 12

Qurahn Anderson

Javonte Landy

Abasi Scott

SG/SF

Micheal Cabellero

Donte Dorman

Keane Carter

Leron Smalls

Keith Louper

Ahmad Grovener

Larry Pounds

Sean Cabellero

Landon Page

No. 0 1 2 3 4 5 10 12 15 23 24 32 34 35

Head Coach: Lawrence M Kelly Name Pos. Gr. Brycin Kennedy SF/PF 12 Antoine Lorick SF/PF 11 Jayden Pack PG/SG 12 Dontrel Smith PG/SG 11 Dayshawn Adams PG/SG/SF 12 Jaquez Ellison PG/SG/SF 12 Terrenice Streetman SF/PF 12 Dacarion Dunbar PG/SG 12 Bryant Simpson SG/SF 11 Ahmad McClain PG/SG 12 Antonio Buffington SG/SF 10 Jayden Tyner F/C 10 Brytin Jones SG/SF 10 Jaden Priester SF/PF 9

MACON CENTREPLEX | MARCH 12, 2022

WHAT’S YOUR WARRIOR? GOARMY.COM

WWW.GHSA.NET | 21

GHSA 2022 STATE BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS SECOND ROUND R3 #2 Forest Park

R5 #1 SW DeKalb

R8 #2 Loganville

R2 #1 Griffin

QUARTERFINALS Forest Park

SEMIFINALS

R7 #1 Hiram

Hiram

Macon Centreplex 5:30 pm March 10, 2022

52 New Manchester

R3 #2 Jonesboro

65 64

R8 #2 Loganville

Jonesboro

MAR. 4-5

Jonesboro Loganville

R7 #1 Hiram

R8 #3 Walnut Grove

Hiram

R5 #1 Luella

R8 #2 Chestatee

R7 #1 NW Whitfield

Luella

Carver, Col.

Woodland

Calhoun

SEMIFINALS

NW Whitfield

GIRLS 4A

QUARTERFINALS

Marist

Macon Centreplex 5:00 pm March 9, 2022

50 35

Pickens 51

MAR. 1-2 65

R8 #2 North Oconee

Dougherty

MAR. 4-5

Spencer Spencer

MAR. 4-5

BOYS 4A

R7 #1 Central, Car.

R6 #2 Marist

Monroe

Marist Marist

22 | WWW.GHSA.NET

R1 #1 Warner Robins

R2 #3 Griffin

R6 #1 Chapel Hill

R5 #2 Lithonia

R3 #1 Tri-Cities

R4 #3 Woodland

R6 #4 New Manchester

R7 #2 Calhoun

R1 #1 Veterans

Macon Centreplex 7:00 pm March 9, 2022

SECOND ROUND R2 #3 Hardaway

R6 #1 Marist

R7 #3 Heritage

R1 #4 Monroe

R2 #2 Troup Co.

R8 #1 Jefferson

R7 #2 Pickens

R1 #1 Dougherty

R4 #2 Perry

R6 #1 Druid Hills

R5 #2 McDonough

R3 #1 Benedictine

R4 #3 Westside

R8 #1 Jefferson

R5 #3 Luella

R1 #1 Westover

Druid Hills

McDonough McDonough

Ft. Valley State Univ. 8:00 pm Westover

R5 #3 St. Pius X

FEB. 25-26

R1 #2 Monroe

R8 #1 Greenbrier

Pickens

MAR. 1-2 48

Spencer Ft. Valley State Univ. 4:00 pm

Jefferson

R4 #3 Stockbridge

Heritage

Ft. Valley State Univ. 6:00 pm Marist

Baldwin

Marist

R3 #1 Woodward Acad.

Calhoun

Luella

R5 #1 Fayette Co.

R4 #1 Baldwin

FINALS

Tri-Cities

56 68

R7 #3 Calhoun

Ft. Valley State Univ. 8:00 pm

Ft. Valley State Univ. 2:00 pm

FEB. 25-26

R2 #1 Spencer

Luella

Baldwin

R1 #3 Dougherty

Tri-Cities

SEMIFINALS

Chapel Hill

R1 #2 Bainbridge

R4 #1 Baldwin

QUARTERFINALS

R6 #1 Jackson

FEB. 25-26

SECOND ROUND

R6 #2 Stephenson

Macon Centreplex 7:30 pm March 10, 2022

54 Eagle’s Landing

Eagle’s Landing

R2 #1 Carver, Col.

Warner Robins

R1 #2 Warner Robins

R1 #3 Thomas Co.

Greenbrier

MAR. 1-2

Eagle’s Landing

Ft. Valley State Univ. 4:00 pm

R4 #1 Eagle’s Landing

MAR. 4-5

BOYS 5A

Woodward Acad.

Warner Robins

MAR. 1-2

R5 #1 St. Pius X

R4 #4 Dutchtown

FEB. 25-26

R2 #3 Harris Co.

Ft. Valley State Univ. 6:00 pm

Woodward Acad. New Manchester

SECOND ROUND

Jackson

Woodward Acad. 84

R6 #2 New Manchester 38 R2 #4 Northside

QUARTERFINALS 58

Forest Park

Ft. Valley State Univ. 2:00 pm R1 #2 Ware Co.

SEMIFINALS

GIRLS 5A

52 Forest Park

Loganville

FINALS

55 42

Jefferson

Westover 63

Westover

WEDNESDAY - MARCH 9, 2022

CLASS AAAA BOYS

3.09.22 7 PM

SPENCER

WESTOVER

DID YOU KNOW? SPENCER IS 22-0 AGAINST CLASS 4A OPPONENTS THIS SEASON

SPENCER

GREENWAVE

•

29-2

•

REGION

pencer (29-2) now sits one win away from the program’s first-ever state championship after its 44-36 victory over Marist in the semifinals and remains undefeated within the classification this season. Spencer led Marist 11-10 after the first quarter and went into the half with a 19-15 lead before pulling away in the third quarter. The Greenwave held Marist to just two points in the third quarter and grew their lead to 29-17 before closing out the victory. Spencer opened up the third quarter on a 10-0 run and late baskets by Ryan Mobley, Gary Gaithers and Dray Duncan pushed the lead to 29-17 heading into the final frame. Marist opened the fourth quarter with a Grant Erickson field goal and two free throws by Quinn Damm to cut the deficit to 29-21. The teams traded baskets before Spencer’s Wydarius Scott made a three-pointer that grew the lead to 34-23. Damm hit a three-pointer with just over a minute left to cut the deficit to 42-34. Spencer has limited all four playoff opponents to fewer than 42 points and carries a 33.1 average margin of victory into the championship. Spencer’s playoff run opened with a massive 81-42 win over Spalding and a 62-35 win over North Oconee in the second round. The Greenwave also defeated Dougherty 56-34 in the quarterfinals prior to Friday’s win over Marist.

WESTOVER

PATRIOTS

•

25-3

•

REGION

estover sits one win away from the program’s first state title since 2001 after toppling No. 1 ranked McDonough 42-39 with a 29-16 scoring edge in the second half. The Patriots previously dominated the first half in the quarterfinals—leading Jefferson 37-19 at the break before scoring the 63-55 win—and overcame a halftime 23-13 deficit Friday night to defeat the Warhawks. The pace stalled in the second and third quarters of the semifinals, with Westover and McDonough both tallying just three points apiece in the second quarter and Westover closing out the third quarter with a 7-2 scoring advantage. Westover’s Kamari Leverett finished with 12 points and gave the Patriots their first one-point lead in the fourth quarter with a three-pointer. The Patriots’ comeback was not complete until Efren Smith closed it out with five-straight free throws to ice the game. Smith also finished with a team-high 12 points. Smith (11.6, Keshay Walton (10.9) and Leverette (10.6) are all averaging double-digit scoring and the team is collectively shooting 44 percent from beyond the arc this season (97-of-220). Westover opened up its playoff run with a 90-40 win over Islands and scored a 65-57 victory over Luella in the second round. Smith scored a game-high 21 points off 9-of-11 shooting in the victory over Islands and was one of 11 different players that scored points in the win.

No. 0 1 2 2 3 4 5 5 10 11 13 20 21 23 34 44

Head Coach: Quantavias Allen Name Pos. Tony Montgomery PG/SG Dray Duncan G/W Tycen Mcdaniels G/F Tycen McDaniels F/W Gary Gaithers G Randall Dicon G Ryan Mobley Jr. PG Ryan Mobley G Wydarious Scott PG Kyrie Deas SG Vasean Moody SG/W Jhalienne Drake C Jamie Jackson Jr. F/W Ziquan Webb F Jonathan Holmes PF Antonio Cochran F

Gr. 9 10 11 11 10 12 11 11 11 12 11 11 12 11 11 11

No. 0 1 3 5 10 11 12 12 13 13 13 15 20 23 24 35

Head Coach: Dallis Smith Name Pos. Cameron Cromer F Kavon Johnson G Kemari Leverette G/F Anthony Milton G Cam Ball G Jeremiah Waters G/F Bryson Carter G Jeremiah Childs G James Fudge F Braylon Ball G Bryce Fortson PG Tracy Williams F Jeremiah Bush G Keshay Walton G Effrin Smith F Traveion Wheeler C

Gr. 12 11 11 10 12 9 9 9 9 9 10 10 10 12 12 10

WWW.GHSA.NET | 23

WEDNESDAY - MARCH 9, 2022

LUELLA 3.09.22 5 PM MARIST CLASS AAAA GIRLS

DID YOU KNOW? MARIST AND LUELLA ARE BOTH UNDEFEATED WITHIN CLASS 4A THIS SEASON

LUELLA

LIONS

•

27-3

•

REGION

Head Coach: LaToya Brown

uella earned its first-ever state championship appearance with Friday’s 62-53 win over Baldwin in the semis—picking up its second win over the Braves this year. November’s meeting between the programs ended in a 55-54 Luella victory and the Lions were able to get off to a fast start in their semifinal rematch to sweep the season series. Luella opened up a fast 10-1 lead, but Baldwin was able to orchestrate a 6-0 run to make it a 10-7 game after the first quarter. Luella went into the half with a 27-17 lead. Baldwin battled to try and keep its 16-game win streak alive and overcome Luella’s fast start, but ran into trouble in the third quarter when sophomore Madison Ruff fouled out with 6:01 still left in the frame. Later in the third quarter, Luella’s Tamya Stevenson made a free throw that gave Luella its biggest lead of the game (43-24). Baldwin answered with an 8-2 run to make it a 13-point game heading into the fourth quarter (45-32), but Luella was able to secure the victory in the final frame. Luella sophomore Miliani Smith scored 10 of her team-high 15 points in the third quarter, Evangelia Davlakou finished with 14 points, Trinity Layton scored 13 and Arianna Dyson finished with 10. Tamia Smith led Baldwin in scoring with 15 points. Luella’s playoff run also includes a 78-61 quarterfinal victory over powerhouse Carver-Columbus.

MARIST

WAR EAGLES

•

27-3

•

REGION

n Marist’s 38-35 semifinal win over Pickens, Marist did not take its first lead of the game until Lexy Faklaris put the War Eagles up 27-26 in the fourth quarter. Teammate Avery Fantucci added a threepointer shortly after to push the lead to 30-26 and ultimately, the War Eagles outscored Pickens 16-10 in the fourth quarter to rally past the Dragons and move one victory away from the program’s first-ever championship. Pickens opened up a 10-7 lead in the first quarter and went into the half with an 1815 lead. Carolina Mullins scored 11 of the Dragons’ points in the first half, but Marist had five different players find points in the first half—including five points by Faklaris to remain in striking distance. Mullins scored all six of Pickens’ third quarter points, while Marist got two points from Alex Norris and Faklaris and a three-pointer by Kate Fletcher to shrink the deficit to 24-22 heading into the fourth quarter. Marist scored a 36-16 win over Heritage-Catoosa in the quarterfinals and showcased their defensive prowess that has been a key ingredient to its success this season. The win over Heritage was the second-straight round and seventh time this season that Marist held an opponent to fewer than 20 points. Fantucci led the War Eagles’ offensively with 21 points and teammate Kim finished with eight points.

24 | WWW.GHSA.NET

No.

Name

Pos.

Gr.

Shelby Lacy

Camryn Berry

SeMya McCree

Natalie Martin

Myah Beasley

Samyia Fasion

Evangelia Davlakou

Trinity Layton

W/SF

Chayce Matthews

Arianna Dyson

Tamya Stevenson

Miliani Smith

Telisa Hollingshed

Head Coach: Kim Hixon No.

Name

Pos.

Gr.

Ava Keddy

Anna Clare Keppen

Eloise Smith

Abby Lindsay

Kate Fletcher

Lauren Kim

Avery Fantucci

Alex Norris

Lexy Faklaris

Hannah Faklaris

K R O W T S E H N S NF K R H F O N ETW S H N S NF K R H F O N ETW N WATCH HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS LIVE ON THE NFHS NETWORK

Stream LIVE or On Demand f rom any device

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S U B S C R I B E | F O L LO W | W ATC H

THURSDAY - MARCH 10, 2022

CLASS AAAAA GIRLS

FOREST PARK

3.10.225:30 PM WOODWARD ACAD. DID YOU KNOW? THE SCHOOLS ARE JUST 10 MILES APART. WOODWARD IS JUST NORTH OF THE ATLANTA AIRPORT WHILE FOREST PARK IS TO THE SOUTHEAST OF THE AIRPORT

FOREST PARK

PANTHERS

•

22-6

•

REGION

orest Park has two state titles, one in 1970 and most recently in 2020 when the Panthers defeated Glynn Academy 46-30 to win the 6A championship. After a gritty 60-38 defensive victory over New Manchester in the semifinals, Forest Park has a shot for its third title. Region-mate Woodward Academy stands in the way and the Panthers lost each of the three prior meetings this season to the War Eagles. “Defense is very important to us,” Panther head coach Steve Cole told S. Thomas Coleman who covered the game for the AJC. “We play a zone that sometimes morphs into man, but we maintain the same intensity. We have a total program and we prepare our team to win a state championship every year. We set standards and expectations for our team. We have an expectation of how we perform in the classroom. We expect our young ladies to walk down the hallway. We have a 3.3 team GPA. We’ve sent 30-40 young ladies to college.” Forest Park was led by sophomore point guard/shooting guard Yasmine Allen (14 points), senior guard/forward Aaishah Barry (14 points) and junior point guard/shooting guard Jayda Brown (14 points) in its semifinal victory over New Manchester. Allen averages 19.3 points per game and Brown is scoring nearly 15 points per game. The Panthers beat Wayne County 55-20, Southwest DeKalb 59-32, Loganville 52-40 and New Manchester on the way to the title game.

WOODWARD ACAD.

WAR EAGLES • 28-2 • REGION 3

oodward wants its fifth title and wants to defend last year’s championship. After a 67-35 dismantling of Warner Robins in the semifinals, the War Eagles have a chance. Woodward’s path to the finals went through Coffee 77-35, Calhoun 79-46, Jackson-Atlanta 84-58 and Warner Robins. “We finally started guarding people. We finally started doing the things we’re supposed to do, fundamentals.” Woodward head coach Kim Lawrence told S. Thomas Coleman who covered the game for the AJC. “It’s hard to beat a good team multiple times in one season. We’ll have to keep doing what we’ve been doing. The fundamentals. We respect all of our opponents. It doesn’t matter what it says on paper or what you see on film. When you get out on the court, anything can happen.” The War Eagles are led by Georgia-signee Sydney Bowles, who scored 20 points with 12 rebounds, five steals and four assists in the semifinal victory. Bowles averages 21 points with seven rebounds, four assists and three steals per game. Sara Lewis scored 16 points against Warner Robins and averages 14 points per game. Senior Kennedie Moseley averages six points per game but in Woodward’s semifinal victory, Moseley tallied 15 points with five rebounds. Woodward beat Forest Park three times this season – 55-42, 70-64 and 55-33 in the region tournament.

26 | WWW.GHSA.NET

Head Coach: Steven Cole No.

Name

Pos.

Gr.

Olivia Ross

Nicora Patrick

Aaishah Berry

G/F

Jayda Brown

PG/SG

Michayia Davis

G/F

Janiya Simmons

Hannah Stanley

Hannah Willis

Makayla Arnold

Yasmine Allen

SG/PG

No.

Name

Pos.

Gr.

Sydney Bowles

PG/SG

Anna Wylder

SG/PG

Sara Lewis

SG/SF/PF 11

Miranda Merchant

Kameron Herring

Ty Martin

Zoe Scott

Kayla Whitner

Delaney Cooper

Mackenzie Moring

Kennedie Mosley

PG/SG

Rhian Richardson

SG/SF

Kelley Chapman

Head Coach: Kim Lawrence

THURSDAY - MARCH 10, 2022

CLASS AAAAA BOYS

EAGLE’S LANDING

3.10.22 7:30 PM TRI-CITIES DID YOU KNOW?

‘AQUEMINI’ ARTISTS ANDRE 3000 AND BIG BOI, WHO FORMED THE RAP GROUP OUTKAST, ARE BOTH ALUMNA OF TRI-CITIES

EAGLE’S LANDING

EAGLES • 27-3 • REGION 4

he defending-champions enter the title game on a 14-game winning streak and are steadily searching for the program’s third title – 2021, 2013. Eagles Landing’s path to the state championship game went through McIntosh 37-26, Walnut Grove 62-52, Hiram 70-54 and Jonesboro 67-60 in the semifinals. “God has just blessed us, just blessed this team,” Elliott Montgomery said to S. Thomas Coleman who covered the game for the AJC. “These kids just believe. They told me last year that we were going to be back. And here we are. We missed too many free throws today but give credit to Jonesboro. That’s a really gutsy team and they make it hard on you. Coach Dan Maehlman does a great job, and he had those guys well prepared. We were just blessed to get this win tonight.” Against Jonesboro, Eagles Landing trailed early and before taking a 55-54 lead on a free throw by David Thomas, the Eagles hadn’t led since the first quarter. AJ Barnes scored on a conventional three-point play to tie the game at 54 at the end of regulation. In the overtime period, the championship program emerged. “We knew that if we could get it to overtime, we would have the advantage,” Montgomery said. “Before we broke the huddle, we said ‘Champs on three.’” Junior point guard David Thomas led with 20 points against Jonesboro. Awaiting Eagles Landing is Tri-Cities, the team which the Eagles beat 81-69 in last season’s title game.

TRI-CITIES

BULLDOGS

•

22-5

•

REGION

ince winning the 2018-19 6A state title over Tucker 46-43 on the back of the game-winning 3-point shot from Da’Marcus Johnson, Tri-Cities has wanted the program’s second title really bad. In 2019-20, the Bulldogs lost to eventual-champion Chattahoochee 78-73 in the semifinals. Last season, the Bulldogs lost in the championship game to a familiar foe: Eagles Landing. The Bulldogs earned the title berth after beating Coffee 78-56, Lithonia 60-59, Chapel Hill 86-81 and Calhoun 71-68 in the semifinals. “We thought we had an advantage with our guard (against Calhoun), but we thought they had the advantage inside,” Tri-Cities head coach Omar Forts told S. Thomas Coleman who covered the semifinal game for the AJC. “We wanted to try to wear them down with our quickness and pressure and I think we were able to do that a little bit.” Four players are scoring in double-figures for Tri-Cities led by senior Simeon Cottle, who scored 23 points with five rebounds per game. Junior Kory Mincy (18 points), junior Noricco Danner (13 points) and junior Kyndon Wilburg (11 points) factor in for Tri-Cities. “I told our players, one team will come into this game with a dream, the other with a wish,” Tri-Cities head coach Omar Forts told S. Thomas Coleman. “Dreams are built from work. Wishes are built from hope. I told them we are the team with a dream because of the work we put in.”

No. 0 1 2 3 4 5 10 11 12 13 14 15 21 23 24 25

Head Coach: Elliott Montgomery Name Pos. Jordan Fordyce PF/SG Khylan McKennie G Nick Mason PG Kenneth Brayboy PF/SG Isaiah Parrott G AJ Barnes G Mack Lakes C/PF Kory Hill PG David Thomas PG Christian Goggins G Elijah Robinson G/F Jalien Punter PF/C Chris Morris SF/PF Tye Redmond PG Fabian Desilva PG/SF Jabrail Martin C/SF

Gr. 12 11 11 11 11 12 12 12 11 12 11 12 12 10 12 12

No. 0 1 2 3 4 5 11 12 15 21 23 30 33 34 34

Head Coach: Omari Forts Name Pos. Eric Smarr PG/SG Noricco Danner SG Tramarius Jones PG Kory Mincy PG Kyndon Wilburg SG/PG Simeon Cottle PG/SG Kamiron Jones PG/SG Elgin Neal II SF William Norwood C/PF Ryan Mathieu C/PF Andrew Jones SG/PG Davion Cooper PG/SG Dontravious Johnson SG Tavaris Dice Jr. PF/C Tavaris Dice C/PF

Gr. 12 11 10 11 11 12 9 11 12 12 9 12 11 9 9

WWW.GHSA.NET | 27

GHSA 2022 STATE BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS

Jr HAWKS SUMMER CAMPS presented by adidas BOYS & GIRLS - AGES 8-15 JUNE-JULY - MONDAY-THURSDAY 9:00 AM-3:00 PM COST - $300 PER WEEK SCAN TO REGISTER

$50 OFF USE PROMO CODE - SAVE50

28 | WWW.GHSA.NET

MACON CENTREPLEX | MARCH 12, 2022 SECOND ROUND R3 #2 Hillgrove

R5 #1 Cherokee

R6 #3 West Forsyth

R2 #1 Campbell

QUARTERFINALS Cherokee

SEMIFINALS

R7 #1 Norcross

R8 #3 Peachtree Ridge 39 R4 #1 Brookwood

32 69

R8 #2 Collins Hill

Macon Centreplex 5:30 pm March 12, 2022

Milton

R7 #1 Berkmar

Pebblebrook

Berkmar

55 75

North Gwinnett

Norcross 58

FINALS

R8 #2 Buford

R2 #1 Brunswick

Rockdale Co. Brunswick

R7 #1 River Ridge

R6 #2 Sprayberry

River Ridge

Lovejoy

67 38

Kell

Macon Centreplex 5:30 pm March 11, 2022 Sequoyah

44 40

R5 #1 Carrollton

R8 #2 Buford

Carrollton

MAR. 4-5

Buford Buford

Bradwell Inst.

MAR. 4-5

BOYS 6A

54 73

R3 #3 Rockdale Co,

R7 #1 Sequoyah

R6 #2 Kell

Sequoyah

Sequoyah Kell

R8 #1 Collins Hill

R7 #2 Archer

R1 #1 Lowndes

R4 #2 Newton

R6 #1 West Forsyth

R7 #3 Archer

R3 #1 Walton

R2 #2 East Coweta

R8 #1 North Gwinnett

R7 #2 Norcross

R1 #1 Lowndes

SECOND ROUND R4 #2 Langston Hughes

R6 #1 Kell

R5 #2 Rome

R3 #1 Grovetown

R2 #2 Bradwell Inst.

R8 #1 Dacula

R7 #2 Sequoyah

R1 #1 Houston Co.

82 Macon Centreplex 7:30 pm March 11, 2022

R4 #2 Westlake

R6 #1 Wheeler

R5 #2 Alexander

R3 #1 Grovetown

R4 #3 Langston Hughes

R6 #4 Osborne

R7 #2 River Ridge

R1 #1 Valdosta

Wheeler

Grovetown Grovetown

University of West Georgia 8:00 pm Grovetown

R2 #2 Pebblebrook

FEB. 25-26

51 University of West Georgia 4:00 pm

Sequoyah

MAR. 1-2 76

Buford

R3 #1 Harrison

Rome

Sequoyah

MAR. 1-2

University of West Georgia 6:00 pm

FEB. 25-26

Kell

59 Lovejoy

R5 #2 Woodstock

Norcross

QUARTERFINALS

Lovejoy

University of West Georgia 2:00 pm R1 #2 Lee Co.

SEMIFINALS

GIRLS 6A

Archer

Buford City Arena 8:00 pm Norcross

SEMIFINALS

R6 #1 North Forsyth

FEB. 25-26

Newton

QUARTERFINALS

Newton

Macon Centreplex 7:30 pm March 12, 2022

R5 #1 Carrollton

R4 #1 Tucker

62 Berkmar

Rockdale Co.

R2 #1 Statesboro

MAR. 1-2

Berkmar

Archer

SECOND ROUND

R3 #2 Evans

Archer

MAR. 4-5

BOYS 7A

Buford City Arena 8:00 pm

Grayson

R4 #1 Lovejoy

Pebblebrook

MAR. 4-5

R8 #3 Mountain View 63

R3 #2 Rockdale Co.

42 52

Pebblebrook

R4 #2 Grayson

Buford City Arena 6:00 pm Harrison

SECOND ROUND

Harrison

R3 #3 Hillgrove

R4 #1 Grayson

Harrison

MAR. 1-2

R5 #1 Milton

R2 #1 Pebblebrook

Grayson

77 Norcross

Brookwood

FEB. 25-26 R3 #2 Marietta

Norcross

QUARTERFINALS

Norcross

Buford City Arena 6:00 pm R1 #2 Tift Co.

SEMIFINALS

GIRLS 7A

52 Campbell

Campbell

FINALS

53 63

Langston Hughes

Langston Hughes 51

River Ridge

WWW.GHSA.NET | 29

FRIDAY - MARCH 11, 2022

CLASS AAAAAA GIRLS

LOVEJOY

3.11.225:30 PM SEQUOYAH DID YOU KNOW?

LOVEJOY SOPHOMORE BRYANNA PRESTON WAS NAMED REGION 4 PLAYER OF THE YEAR

LOVEJOY

WILDCATS

•

27-3

•

REGION

ovejoy got off to a blazing start in its 71-56 semifinal victory over Rockdale County. Region 4 Player of the Year Bryanna Preston scored four of her game-high 30 points in the Wildcats’ 11-0 game-opening run. The victory sent Lovejoy to its third finals appearance in the last five seasons and the Wildcats will attempt to clinch their first title since 2018. Lovejoy carries an 18-game win-streak and hasn’t lost within the state since a 72-65 loss to Class 5A No. 1 ranked Woodward Academy on Nov. 27. That distant loss was Lovejoy’s second game on the 2021-2022 regular season schedule and has been left in the rearview mirror. Preston’s back-to-back baskets and a La’Nya Foster a 3-pointer sparked that 11-0 lead with 4:25 still remaining in the first quarter. Rockdale County managed to get within five points midway through the second quarter, but the Wildcats extended their lead to 16 points by halftime and then took an 18-point lead into the final frame. Preston had 12 fourth-quarter points as the Wildcats put the game away. Foster and Keyra Peterson finished with 13 points each, and Layla Hood had five points and 12 rebounds. Preston also had a big performance in Lovejoy’s 71-59 win over River Ridge in the quarterfinals—finishing with 26 points to go with seven assists and four steals. Foster added 16 points and seven rebounds in the quarterfinal triumph.

SEQUOYAH

CHIEFS

•

24-7

•

REGION

equoyah appeared in the semifinals for the first time since 1996—the year the Chiefs last won a state title—and scored a 40-38 victory over Kell to advance to the finals. Elle Blatchford’s two free throws with 2:22 remaining gave Sequoyah its first lead since the second quarter, and she made two more from the charity stripe with 12.5 seconds left to secure the narrow victory. Both teams struggled from the field and Sequoyah didn’t produce a point until a free throw by Milanni AbdusSalaam with 4:52 remaining in the first quarter. Susanna Rogers sunk Sequoyah’s first field goal of the game 35 seconds later and the Chiefs connected on just 12 of 44 field-goal attempts (27.3%) in the victory. Kell also struggled offensively and did not score until the 3:56 mark in the first quarter. Crystal Henderson, Kell’s leading scorer and a two-time first-team all-state selection, was held to just 3-for-13 from the field and finished with nine points. Jamiah Gregory gave Kell a seven-point lead with a 3-pointer at the end of the second quarter and that lead reached nine points on a layup by Gregory midway through the third, but Blatchford answered with seven points to fuel a critical 9-0 Sequoyah run that tied the game at 27-27. Abdus-Salaam’s layup put Sequoyah up 37-36 and the Chiefs maintained the lead, despite missing four of seven free-throw attempts in the final 19 seconds.

30 | WWW.GHSA.NET

Head Coach: Cedric King No.

Name

Pos.

Gr.

Bryanna Preston

Keyra Peterson

Ayana Boyd

Jakayla Harrison

Camiah Muldrow

Layla Hood

Jahilya McDonald

Bryana Hardy

La’nya Foster

India McIntosh

No. 2 3 5 10 11 12 13 20 21 23 24 25 30 32 35 41 42 45

Head Coach: Chris Yarbrough Name Pos. Shelby Belanger SG Sophia D’Amaro PG/SG Callie Gaddis SF Ava Gray PG Audrey Waites SG Bella Eden SG A’ryn Jackson SG/SF Brooke Reagan PG Milanni Abdus-Salaam F/C Sayler Davies PG/SG Amy Singh PF/SF Elle Blatchford PG Lauren Trujillo F/C Susanna Rogers PG/SG Addison Ghorley SG Natalie Pollard F/G Tristan Barber PF/SF Tafton Barber PF/SF

Gr. 10 12 11 9 9 12 12 10 9 10 12 11 10 12 10 9 10 12

FRIDAY - MARCH 11, 2022

CLASS AAAAAA BOYS

BUFORD

3.11.22 7:30 PM GROVETOWN DID YOU KNOW? GROVETOWN’S BOYS AND GIRLS SWEPT REGION 3 TITLES FOR THE FIRST TIME IN SCHOOL HISTORY THIS SEASON

BUFORD

WOLVES

•

25-6

•

REGION

uford will try to win its third all-time state title and third since 2017 Friday night as it makes it return to Macon. The Wolves battled past a red hot Sequoyah team Saturday night in the semifinals and celebrated the hard-fought 73-72 victory at the University of West Georgia. Sequoyah led by nine points in the second quarter and Buford needed a 22-point effort in the third quarter to build its 56-52 lead. That margin grew to nine points midway through the final quarter, but Sequoyah and its cast of long-range shooters were able to mount a furious comeback before the Wolves’ clinched the win. Alahn Sumler paced Buford with a 19 points and teammate Jayon Taylor finished with 18—in addition to his seven rebounds and three blocks. Sumler and Taylor combined for 22 points in the second half and Malachi Brown also came up clutch down the stretch. Brown connected on a pair of free throws with nine seconds left to push Buford’s lead to 73-69 and he finished with a team-high 20 points “Those are our guys,” Buford coach Benjie Wood told the Atlanta Journal Constitution. “What I’m most proud of with our guys is that when every bit of adversity hits us, they just stick together. They kept saying, ‘Stay together, stay together,’ and that’s a tribute to their leadership. And you know what? We had to make plays, and we made plays.”

GROVETOWN

WARRIORS

•

28-3

•

REGION

rovetown defeated two-time defending state champion Wheeler in the quarterfinals and followed it with a 68-63 win over Hughes in the semifinals to extend its win-streak to 17-straight games. The Warriors now sit one win away from completing their run to a historic first-ever state title. In the semis, Grovetown took a 58-42 lead on a dunk by Vashon Ferguson with seven minutes remaining. Hughes’ Jelani Thurmon helped fuel a 15-2 run with eight points of his own that left Grovetown leading just 60-57 with three minutes left. Region 3 Player of the Year Frankquon Sherman made two free throws to push the lead to 62-57 with 2:54 remaining, but Hughes answered again with six consecutive points and actually took a 63-62 edge, its first lead since early in the first quarter. Two free throws by Derrion Reid and a jump shot by Sherman put Grovetown back in front 66-63 in the final minute. Hughes missed two free throws and Grovetown missed one in the final 20 seconds. Hughes misfired on a potential game-tying rebound and Grovetown secured the rebound to set up Markel Freeman’s game-clinching free throws with 9 seconds left to put the game away. Sherman led all scorers with 23 points and had 12 rebounds and four blocked shots. Ferguson added 15 points, and Freeman had 14. Sherman has led Grovetown with a team-high 16.6 points per game this season and Ferguson (13) and Freeman (11.2) are also averaging double-digit scoring.

Head Coach: Benjie Wood No.

Name

Pos.

Gr.

Alahn Sumler

SG/PG

Brennan Wansley

Jaylon Taylor

Nick Isaac

Cameron Kelly

C/PF

David Burnett

Malachi Brown

Edward Hunter

Kyle Carpenter

Davis Church

Eli Murray

SG/PG

London Williams

C/PF

No. 0 1 2 3 4 5 10 11 13 14 15 22 23 24 32 35

Head Coach: Darren Douglas Name Pos. Markel Freeman G Malik Ferguson G Frankquon Sherman F Khaleed Heywood G Aaron Nomel F DJ Douglas F Jaden Cobb G Maliq Richards F EJ Kency G Kario Walker G Kijuan Figgs G CJ Johnson G Jose Rodriguez F Cam Humphrey G Chavis Johnson G Derrion Reid F

Gr. 11 11 11 11 11 11 12 11 11 10 12 10 12 9 10 10

WWW.GHSA.NET | 31

GHSA 2022 STATE BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS

32 | WWW.GHSA.NET

SATURDAY - MARCH 12, 2022

CLASS AAAAAAA GIRLS

3.12.22 5:30 PM

NORCROSS

HARRISON

DID YOU KNOW? THE NORCROSS BOYS AND GIRLS TEAM HAVE A CHANCE TO BOTH WIN STATE TITLES FOR THE THIRD TIME IN PROGRAM HISTORY AFTER DOING SO IN 2011 AND 2013

NORCROSS

BLUE-DEVILS

•

25-2

•

REGION

Head Coach: Ashley Luke Canton No.

Name

Pos.

Gr.

he Blue Devils have three titles to their name, and they want another one. Following a clutch 3-pointer from

Jill Salmon

5-7 senior guard DeNaeja Morton to lift the Blue Devils past Campbell 54-51 in the semifinals, Norcross has

Kayla Lindsey

a chance. However, early in the semifinals, that didn’t look like the case. The Blue Devils trailed 8-0 early and 14-5

Denaeja Morton

entering the second quarter before turning things around. Entering the second quarter, Norcross scored the first 17

Hope Ayim

Cate Sidey

Ebonie Watson

Zaria Hutston

PF/SF

Laniya Kenon

PG/SG

Jania Akins

SG/PG

Cadence Peterson

Markiesa Lancaster

PF/SF

Laura Cadavid

PG/SG

No. 1 4 5 10 11 12 14 15 20 21 22 23 24 30 32 33 35

Head Coach: Terry Kemp Name Pos. Bailey Vick G Hope Mitchell PG/SG Sloan Vick PG/SG Abby Pate SF Kennedy YoungDriver SG Alex McElroy PG Alisha Foster PG Grace Griffin G Emme Johnson W Anna Gernatt SG Holley Turner W Mia Geveke G Emily Acampora G Ellie Peterson SG Harper Smith PF Kennedi Jons SF Corrie Smith F

Gr. 12 9 9 10 12 10 12 12 12 12 11 12 12 9 9 9 12

points and led 27-21 at the half. Entering the fourth quarter, Norcross led 43-34. Campbell tied the game late but Morton’s 3-pointer was the difference. Norcross’ other factors on offense are senior power forward/strong forward Zaria Hurston, sophomore point guard/shooting guard Jania Akins, senior point guard/shooting guard Laniya Kenon and senior point guard Kayla Lindsey. Against Campbell, Hurston scored 22 points, Akins scored nine points and Kenon and Lindsey each scored eight points. Norcross’ path to the state championship game went through Roswell 54-45, Tift County 60-57, Brookwood 77-60 and Campbell. Recent playoff success has kept the Blue Devils hungry in recent history. Last season, Norcross advanced to the second round of the playoffs before losing to Cherokee 57-45. In 2019-20, the Blue Devils advanced to the quarterfinals before losing to eventual-champion Westlake 63-34. In 2018-19, Norcross again lost to eventual-champion Westlake in the quarterfinals 77-57.

HARRISON

HOYAS

•

27-3

•

REGION

arrison enters the game riding a 21-game winning streak and the program is hungry for its firstever state championship after twice being runner-up. Since losing to Marietta 57-51 on Dec. 28, the No. 8-ranked Hoyas have been flawless. The Hoyas defeated No. 7-ranked Archer 59-52 to earn the berth in the state championship game and a late 3-pointer from Bailey Vick and clutch free-throw shooting from Holley Turner against Archer helped. “The girls do a good job of getting each other wide open looks because they play for each other,” Harrison head coach Terry Kemp said to Stan Awtrey of the AJC. “They want each other to succeed. It’s a different girl every night and when Anna (Gernatt) fouled out, we knew someone else was going to step up and tonight it was Bailey (Vick).” The game was tied 38-38 entering the fourth quarter and Kemp made a shift in defensive strategy. “We went man-to-man and I challenged them,” he told Awtrey. “I said, ‘Look, you’ve got eight minutes. You can be epic or you could regret these next eight minutes for the rest of your life. And that’s the facts. They went out and just played their tails off in the fourth quarter.” Harrison’s path to the championship game went through Colquitt County 63-34, Woodstock 55-48, Grayson 57-49 and Archer.

WWW.GHSA.NET | 33

SATURDAY - MARCH 12, 2022

CLASS AAAAAAA BOYS

BERKMAR

3.12.22 7:30 PM NORCROSS DID YOU KNOW?

BERKMAR DEFEATED NORCROSS THREE TIMES THIS SEASON BY A MARGIN OF NINE POINTS – 45-39, 54-52 AND 68-67 PHOTO COURTESY OF JASON GETZ/AJC

BERKMAR

PATRIOTS

•

26-4

•

REGION

Head Coach: Greg Phillips

osing 52-47 to Milton in last year’s title game left a sour taste in the collective mouths of the Berkmar hopefuls. Now, there’s a chance for redemption for the No. 2-ranked Patriots after a 72-58 victory over top-ranked Pebblebrook. Berkmar has won two state titles – 2000 and 2001 – and after not ending the championship drought, the Patriots are poised and enter the title game on a streak of 17 consecutive victories. “There was only one mission,” Berkmar coach Greg Phillips told Stan Awtrey of the AJC. “And we still have one more game for that.” The Patriots are in the title game after victories over Etowah 61-39, Hillgrove 71-53, Grayson 62-57 and Pebblebrook. In the semis, 6-2 senior guard Jameel Rideout scored 22 points to lead the Patriots. “I definitely think everybody understood what the assignment was,” Rideout told Awtrey. “We did what we wanted to accomplish tonight but the job still isn’t done. Everybody still locked in, and we know what we’ve got to do.” Malique Ewin, a 6-10 center signed to Mississippi, scored 18 points and Jermahri Hill, a 6-4 senior guard, scored 13 points against Pebblebrook. If mindset was a worry, Berkmar seems to be in the right place, according to Rideout. “It starts with everybody’s energy and everybody’s mindset coming into the game,” he said. “I know I’ve got to keep everybody grounded and locked in and just control the game and the pace and the atmosphere.”

NORCROSS

BLUE DEVILS

•

26-6

•

REGION

No.

Name

Pos.

Gr.

Jameel Rideout

Tyriq Giddens

Jermahri Hill

Jeronimo Ondo

Ahmed Soumahoro

Brycen Blaine

Justin Mitchell

Christian Braxton

Dante White

Malique Ewin

Isaih Thomas

Bo Hurns

Jalen Munoz

Head Coach: Jesse McMillan No.

Name

Pos.

orcross returns to the state title game after runner-up finishes in 2017 and 2018 and state title victories in

Khadar Musa

2006, 2007, 2008, 2011 and 2013. The Blue Devils entered the tournament as the No. 2 seed from Region

Michael Zhang

7 and beat Cherokee 73-46, Lowndes 45-33, North Gwinnett 58-55 and Newton 58-55 to earn a berth in the

London Johnson

title game of the state’s highest class. The Blue Devils lost to Newton 83-67 in November. In the 58-55 victory

Mier Panoam

Samarion Bond

Antonio Molder

Andre Thompson

Mikaili Sabb

AJ Watkins

McMillan told Stan Awtrey of the AJC. “We have done pretty well so far in the state playoffs, being able to ex-

Jerry Deng

ecute late and run some action and get some good looks. It was execution on offense and (the team) really just

Terrance Davis

kind of locking in,” he said. “Newton is elite on the offensive glass. When we played them in November we gave

Hezekiah Flagg

up 16 offensive rebounds and they beat us by about 15, so we knew coming in we had to cut that in half.”

Jonathan Crayton

over Newton in the semifinals, Jerry Deng led Norcross with 22 points. The 6-foot-8, 192-pound forward is flat out hard to guard. Other Blue Devils that can make opposing defenses pay are 6-4 junior guard Samarion Bond, who scored 16 points in the semis, London Johnson, a 6-4 junior guard, who scored 10 points in the semis and 6-4 junior guard Mier Panoam, who scored 10 points in the semis. “Execution on our end,” Norcross coach Jesse

34 | WWW.GHSA.NET

Gr.

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